Through its Summer School for Journalism, The Day has traditionally handed down its experience to budding journalists. This year’s attendees were students from various Ukrainian universities, including Ostroh Academy, Zaporizhia National University, Kyiv Taras Shevchenko National University, Dnipropetrovsk National Mining University, and the Ukraine Open International University of Human Development. The students enrolled in the Summer School for Journalism are already being treated as colleagues. When they were told to write a review of a book from The Day’s Library Series, they coped with this task like true journalists, and their work bore no traces of a school essay.
In the column “The Day’s Press Club,” we published a selection of excerpts from some of these reviews, as well as part of a conversation that took place between the students and The Day’s editor Larysa Ivshyna. This is a kind of journey into the future of Ukrainian journalism, which has already begun.
Anastasia KOVALCHUK:
What, in your opinion, is the most interesting journalism genre?
Larysa IVSHYNA: “The interview, especially on television, where you can see a person at the very moment he or she is answering. Whenever I have taken part in various TV programs, I have noticed that often, while you are waiting for your turn to ask a question, you can lose the opportunity to catch your opponent unawares. In television it is important to operate the camera skillfully, show people’s reactions, and be aware of the dimension of the debate. But current television functions like the radio: everyone is sitting around and talking. It is difficult to grasp the gist of the conversation, and many important nuances are lost. So the interview is the most advantageous genre in terms of both speaking and showing. I also like the ‘small’ genres, like essays and aphorisms.”
Kateryna KUDINA:
Do you share the opinion of William Thackeray, who said: “The world is a looking-glass and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face?”
“From time to time I go back to the subjects of looking-glasses. Serhii Krymsky once said that, against the backdrop of what may be called mirror newspapers, The Dayis a window. Reflecting is too simple. Journalists should broach more profound issues, such as the right proportions of the world, which enable one to make correct assessments of things, including mirrors. One should try to look behind the looking-glass.”
Anna SLIESARIEVA:
What advantages do you think the print media have over audiovisual and electronic ones?
“The classical newspaper may be in dire straits today. This situation can be compared to the period when television had just emerged and there was a lot of talk that the cinema and theater would die. But a person’s broad outlook will always have a place for newspapers, the Internet, the radio, and television alike. I think the advantage is that, in terms of composition, no printed newspaper can be compared to its online version. True, Web sites are quickly filled with fresh information, as are radio and television, but this is simply a question of the information transfer speed. When you take a newspaper, you instantly like it or you don’t because of the quality of the newsprint, photos, content, or headlines. All this creates a unique compositional impression.
“In addition, we can always go back to the newspaper articles that we like. The Daywas founded in the 20th century. We have projects that are continuing to this day. We produce books based on some of our newspaper articles. When I look through some of Anatolii Kazansky’s illustrations, which, unfortunately, have outlived their author, I see that sometimes the cartoons in our newspaper were weightier than the texts. As time goes by, his cartoons show us his multifaceted outlooks. Kazansky’s album will be interesting for decades to come. And, of course, all this is impossible to reproduce electronically.
“We only rob ourselves when we give up the pleasures of a morning coffee and a newspaper. After all, life is multidimensional, and The Dayshould be part of it.”
Lydia AKRYSHORA:
How long will it take for Ukrainian journalism to become impartial and politically unbiased?
“Our country has sustained colossal national injuries. The years 1932-33 mean not only the loss of millions of people but also a great depressive fear that was driven deeply into people’s consciousness and psyches. Even after the ‘thaw’ of 1991, James Mace, who was from the free world, diagnosed our country as a postgenocidal society after visiting it. Journalism should bolster energy in the nation. It should march a few steps ahead of society and help it drive the right agenda as soon as possible. The media is an extraordinary weapon in the informational world, so there should be very selective access to it.”
Daryna HUZENKOVA:
Who are The Day’s readers?
“It was once thought that journalists should lead and enlighten people. We did a different thing: we established a special partnership with many intellectuals in Ukraine, who helped us create a popular intellectual newspaper. They are Ivan Dziuba, Serhii Krymsky, Yuri Shapoval, Viktor Horobets, Oxana Pachlovska, and many others. In my opinion, this is an example of absolutely unique cooperation. The duty of those who have greater experience is to set the rules that will enable most people to move forward and live well and comfortably in society. There are people who work out these rules and those who are content with a consumerist attitude to life.”
Lina SHVYDKA:
You often say that one must have an open heart and learn. What does this mean?
“Journalism can be accepted not just in rational terms. There something deep in your heart that belongs only to you, and it can tell you whether a certain subject is important.
“A sincere and open heart means that you are ready to help somebody and are doing so. Ukrainians are individualists to some extent, and this has often helped us in our history, but we must know how to unite around certain causes. Ukraine is an ideal union of ‘hamlets,’ where everyone lives in isolated hamlets but is not able to rally around an important goal.
“I like reading letters to our newspaper. Some of them drive me to tears. We had a letter from a young girl named Anna, who lives in a village in Kirovohrad oblast. Her letter contained what I call ‘Anna’s list.’ This list of around 20 items is addressed to Ukrainian politicians. At the time Anna was in the 8th grade, and her letter contained simple and sincere questions, for example: why does my father plant currants in his garden, only to see them uprooted the next morning? What is happening to the people and the countryside? This was a cry from the heart.
“A lot of politicians commented on this letter at our request. Recently fate rewarded me. When I was speaking at Ostroh Academy, I recounted this story and noticed a strange reaction from the audience. It turned out that this girl Anna had read a lot about the academy in our newspaper, decided to apply, and was a first-year student there. Her father was the only one in the village who read The Day . In other words, he brought home a newspaper that made his daughter believe that she could achieve something with her mind. Anna is paying for her education, but now that she has passed all her exams with distinction, she will be exempt from fees next year. I am telling this story to assure you that journalists are capable of many things. That’s a fact.”
